The Swing Shift Shuffle is a radio program of swing, big band, jazz, boogie woogie and other popular music from the 1930's and 40's that airs every Wednesday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. (US Central Time) on WEVL 89.9 FM in Memphis, Tennessee, with a live webcast at wevl.org. In addition to the radio show, this blog is dedicated to all aspects of the Swing Era, including art, automobiles, cartoons, comics, history, movies, music, news, science, technology, and anything else that happened during that time. It also includes announcements about events in the Memphis/Mid-South area related to the Swing Era, such as classic movies, concerts, dances, lectures, etc. If you see something that fits the description, send it to me at tim@wevl.org. If you would like more information about the radio show, just go to the Radio Show FAQ page.

Friday, May 30, 2014

We have not heard from Betty Boop in a while, so here is another one of her adventures with Bimbo and Ko Ko. This short is an early Betty Boop feature from 1932, featuring some definitely pre-Hays Code gags, and one of the weirder plotlines I've seen. From the Internet Archive, here is Is My Palm Read?

Unmanned, remotely piloted military aircraft are not new, or even recent. Both the U.S. and the Germans used television controlled "drones" during World War II in a variety of configurations. Paleofuture posted this article about these experimental aircraft that paved the way for modern military drone use.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues this Friday night at the Rumba Room. Free beginner lesson at 7:00 p.m. Free admission before 7:00 and $5 thereafter. Lesson by Matt and Jazz with music by DJ Matt.

Friday, May 23, 2014

Here is a Memorial Day encore from 2011 featuring a wonderful Tex Avery MGM cartoon from 1942. Bear in mind as you watch, this short was released less than a year after the attack on Pearl Harbor. From the Internet Archive, here is Blitz Wolf.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

The National World War II Museum posted this item about a unique soldier during WW2. "Wojtek" was a Syrian Brown Bear rescued in the mountains of Iran by the Polish II Corps, who were serving with the British Army. Not only did Wojtek serve as the unit's mascot, he was officially drafted into the Polish Armed Forces at the rank of Private, with his own paybook and serial number.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues this Friday night at the Rumba Room. Free beginner lesson at 7:00 p.m. Free admission before 7:00 and $5 thereafter. Lesson by Camille and Phil with music by DJ Jessica C.

Monday, May 19, 2014

It appears that Amazon was not the first to consider aerial delivery of products, although this instance required a human pilot. Retronaut posted this item about a method used to deliver beer to ground troops after D-Day in World War II. A Mk IX Spitfire was modified to carry wooden beer kegs, and a quick flight up to a cold altitude would refresh the beer. Gives a new meaning to the term "beer run."

Friday, May 16, 2014

This encore from 2011 of a 1936 Fleischer Studios cartoon features credits in French, but the minimal dialogue is in English. This short has an interesting mix of styles, from regular animation, to the depth-of-field technique for which the Fleischer's were known, to the apparant use of live action model trains. The overall story is cute, with a warning for reckless children. From the Internet Archive, here is Play Safe.

Another thing to remember is how dangerous such feats were back then. Up until the 1950's, the odds of a person surviving a serious traffic accident - on the street, at normal driving speeds - were essentially 0. This guy is hurtling around the desert at over 100 mph in the modern (safety) equivalent of a buckboard with an airplane motor strapped into it. Granted, there was not much for him to hit out there, but one tire blowout and he was history.

A recent post on Boing Boing featured this clip of swing drummer Viola Smith, one of the earliest female professional drummers. A little more research revealed that this film was part of Warner Brothers' "Melody Masters" film series, which consisted of big band musical film shorts. Released from 1931 to 1947, they were essentially swing music videos. Think early MTV (back when it played music videos) meets Jimmy Dorsey. In this particular short, released in 1940, Viola Smith was playing with Frances Carroll and the Coquettes, an all girl swing orchestra.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session features live music from Davy Ray this Friday night at the Rumba Room. Free beginner lesson at 7:00 p.m. Admission before 7:00 is $5, with a $7 band cover thereafter. Lesson by Jaredan and Erin, with DJ music by Jaredan.

Monday, May 12, 2014

As noted by Paleofuture, train travel after World War II was the classy, luxurious way to get around. General Motors explored this concept in the Train of Tomorrow, which made a 28 month tour of the U.S. and Canada after the war. The post includes some great scans of a color brochure about the train.

Friday, May 9, 2014

This encore from 2011 features another one of those strange 1930s shorts. The references to dental hygene can be explained by the fact that a toothpaste company commissioned the cartoon, but even taking that into account, it is still a bit odd. Nevertheless, you have to love the chorus of "Sing, Sing, Sing" from the elves. From the Internet Archive, here is "Boy Meets Dog."

Thursday, May 8, 2014

The Shadow magazine was the inspiration for The Shadow radio series, and The Golden Age blog has posted a series of those magazine covers, as well as a few ads for the radio show. I picked this one because it included the famous radio tagline "The Shadow knows."

The Orpheum Theatre has announced its Summer Movie Series for 2014, and although there are a few more modern films in the line-up, there are still a some classics. Notably absent is Gone With The Wind because licensing of the film was suspended during its 75th anniversary. Casablanca returns, however, along with Breakfast at Tiffany's and The Wizard of Oz. One new classic in the series is The Little Princess, a 1939 film starring Shirley Temple at the height of her popularity and in Technicolor. The entire schedule is below.

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues this Friday night at the Rumba Room. Free beginner lesson at 7:00 p.m. Free admission before 7:00 and $5 thereafter. Lesson by Keenan and Josie with music by Josie.

Monday, May 5, 2014

Boing Boing posted this very early stop-motion animation film from 1930 starring Charlie Bowers. When he gets the idea to open a "flivver factory," he is using the contemporary slang term for a small, cheap automobile: a flivver. Very good animation for such an early film.

Thursday, May 1, 2014

After a quick glance, I was going to pass this one by until I saw the caped, green-headed dude with the blade and the swastikas. Who could resist a half-naked, swashbuckling Nazi goblin? Posted on Pappy's Golden Age Comics Blogzine, we learn that the hero, Power Neslon, maintains a secret identity as Gene West, a radio announcer.